Page 141 of Daughter of the Serpent

She opened her eyes, her chest heaving, her surroundings spinning around her.

The connection was gone, the door a memory.

Startled, she finally realized Axel was no longer before her, but across the water bank staring at her wide eyed.

“What happened?” she asked, her voice shaky, the confusion tightening her chest like a vice.

His breathing was uneven, his chest rising and falling in rapid bursts, and his eyes - usually calm and steady - burned with something unfamiliar.

Fear.

“You shouldn’t have been able to do that,” he said, his voice sharp and clipped.

“What do you mean?” she pressed, taking a cautious step closer.

He shook his head, his hand dragging down his face before raking through his damp hair, sending droplets scattering. His body gleamed under the silvery glow, every line and contour of his form chiseled and tense, and his expression abattlefield.

“Don’t come any closer,” he commanded, his hand shooting up to stop her in her tracks.

Her steps faltered, her heart skipping painfully. “Why?”

“I don’t have control,” he breathed, his voice raw, almost pleading.

Her brow furrowed, concern knotting her features. “Axel, it’s just me,” she said gently, as if her softness could reach whatever part of him was unraveling.

His eyes closed tightly, his jaw clenching as if he were wrestling some invisible force. “You don’t understand,” he said, his voice a low growl. “I’mnotin control.”

“Axel, what’s wrong?” she asked again, desperation seeping into her voice.

“I need to leave,” he snapped suddenly, his words cutting through the night as he turned and leapt onto the shore. The shadows swallowed him as he stepped into the cover of darkness, his back turned. “I should’ve never let myself get this close,” he muttered, his tone laced with regret. “I’m sorry.”

“Wait!” Sylvie called, her voice rising as she moved toward him, but he was already pulling on his breeches, his hands trembling as he fumbled with the fabric of his tunic.

“Axel,please,” she begged, her words catching in her throat.

He paused only briefly, his head dipping as if the weight of his own thoughts was too much to bear. “I can’t do this, Sylvie,” he said softly, the rawness of his voice striking her like a blow. “This was a mistake.”

Her lips parted to protest, but before she could find the words, he was gone, disappearing into the night without another word.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The sunrise cast its long golden fingers through the trees as Sylvie stepped carefully over the underbrush. The morning air was cool, laced with the scent of pine and earth, but it did little to quell the chaos of her thoughts. After Axel and her had parted that night, Sylvie had retraced her steps to the fairies, where she recollected her training leathers and weapons. She intended to return to the temple grounds right then and there, but the night had quickly deepened, the darkness making it too dangerous to navigate the forest alone, so she decided to wait until dawn. It was then she met up with Axel once more, who had been unusually quiet and broody before their parting.

She had tried to close the distance between them, her words careful as she asked what had happened, where he had gone. But Axel’s response had been swift and sharp, cutting through any remaining threads of hope.

His reminder was curt but necessary - they needed to return to the temple before anyone realized they were missing.

He was right, of course.

She had snuck out with a man, unchaperoned, and spent nearly afull day beyond the temple’s reach. Such recklessness would be unforgivable if discovered, even if he was her mentor.

Still, her heart raged for answers.

Even now, as she stalked through the trees, her thoughts spun like a storm, chasing the same questions.

What had gone wrong? Why had he shut her out so completely?

Every step deepened her frustration, her emotions a tangled knot.